Archive | March, 2010

New Band Palace: Lubriphonic

5 Mar

Hey new bands out there. Right now you are competing with no one in getting a profile of you on the Music Court. Help with your publicity or just enjoy some random guy saying good things about your band. But, I don’t like to throw away compliments to something that is not showing promise. So, impress me. Send your information: updated band members, bio, some music samples to musiccourt@gmail.com or through a twitter message. As promised through a twitter message, the band in the palace today is Chicago’s very own, Lubriphonic.So, Lets bring on the funk!

You know what is funny about Lubriphonic. Look at the picture above. They all look like musicians. If I saw these guys I would think of them as awesome musicians before they even play. And, let me tell you, when they play it is a treat for the ears. My assumption that they are awesome musicians is correct. Throughout their individual careers members of Lubriphonic have toured with the likes of Buddy Miles, The Ohio Players, Buddy Guy and Lenny Kravitz. That is not a bad list of musicians. But, they were side-men to these performers. It was never their own creation. But, these men soaked up their back-up experience and eventually came together as one single entity, Lubriphonic; a band that just oozes soul, old-school rock n’roll and funk.

Lubriphonic is the brainchild of blues guitarist Giles Corey and drummer Rick King. Corey has some experience, only performing with guys like Buddy Scott, Eddy Clearwater and, I don’t know, Bo Diddley. King has only appeared in two feature documentaries about the blues and has performed with the likes of Chuck Berry. Yeah, they are only okay blues musicians. After realizing that their skills worked together perfectly, they joined forces like superheroes and recruited more of the very best blues and funk musicians in Chicago. They ended up with an agglutination of funk, soul, blues and rock n’roll dance music that clicked fused into a musical masterpiece. They started selling out weekly shows and realized that something was there.

Lubriphonic is currently touring and will be in various venues in Colorado until March 15. If you live in the area you should go check them out. They make music that drives you to get up and start shaking your hips to the beats. You can check future dates and booking opportunities on http://www.myspace.com/lubriphonic

Best Album

Soul Solution


Released in 2008, this album showcases the talents of this band well. It most truly is a soul solution. Giles Corey’s vocal prowess is unmistakable and he at times sounds like Gregg Allman. I don’t throw around compliments like this all of the time. He is also a tremendous guitarist who knows how to enjoy a blues solo. The horns that sound throughout the album are poppin’ and it is hard not to bop your head or move your feet when listening. It is an effervescent and pleasurable release and should be owned.

Buy it here or sample it here: http://www.lubriphonic.com/fr_musicstore.cfm

Best Song

Close your eyes when listening to this song which appears on Soul Solution. “Rain Keeps Falling”  is a classic example of why this band is awesome. The fast blues guitar is paired with staccato horns that blend in magically with the awesome drum beat. And the guitar solo. Just wow. Lubriphonic is a chef and this is a perfect concoction. Magnifico.

Court Links: Alice in Wonderland and Happy Birthday Chris Squire

4 Mar

Tim Burton’s take on “Alice in Wonderland” is coming out tomorrow and people are ready to experience this 3D spectacle and most likely be freaked out. In preparation for the movies’ release let’s take a look at the impact it has had on music. Obviously, “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane is a play on “Alice in Wonderland.” It also is a psychedelic masterpiece. Did you know that “I am the Warlus” is loosely inspired by Lewis Carroll’s famous novel. The song, which was written during two acid trips – now do you understand why the lyric is so odd – is inspired by the walrus in “The Walrus and the Carpenter” a poem recited by Tweedledee and Tweedledum in ‘Through the Looking-Glass.’ Check out the rest of the list: http://www.spinner.com/2010/03/03/alice-in-wonderland-music/

Happy Birthday Chris Squire, the bassist for the progressive rock band Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album. Here is a video of Yes performing “Roundabout” at Yessongs in 1973

Lyric of the Day #75: Top 100 Lyricists #72 – Paul Westerberg (The Replacements and Solo)

3 Mar

Paul Westerberg knows what he wants. He also knows how to take it. He has been using this strategy for his entire career. While on his way home from his janitorial job he heard a punk band practicing in a basement. Westerberg wanted in. He played guitar, wrote songs, and was a good singer. He regularly visited the jam sessions and was eventually invited to jam with Bob and Tommy Stinson and Chris Mars. After auditioning singers for the newly formed band, a vocalist was found and put in the lead position that Westerberg wanted. So, how could he get rid of the lead singer? Well, Westerberg simply manipulated him and convinced him that the band did not like him. The singer quit and Westerberg took over as the lead singer.

The band, which eventually changed its name to The Replacements, considered music secondary to drinking and doing drugs. Westerberg came to meetings well-dressed and concentrated on repeated practicing of songs so the band could get it perfect. What came of the hard work? Several hit albums. Tremendous song writing. The Replacements went down as one of the best alternative rock bands of the 1980’s and they have had a huge influence on bands like Green Day and The Goo Goo Dolls, to name a few.

Westerberg, after the fall of The Replacements, hit success with his solo projects. His first official solo work appeared in the 1992 movie “Singles.” One of the songs I will feature below was in this Cameron Crowe film. Westerberg continues to release songs today and his ambitious, independent approach to music has even strengthened his status as a respected man in music.

Two sings that push Westerberg above the 28 other lyricists that have somehow been featured on The Music Court are a Replacements song and a solo song.  “Dyslexic Heart” from the movie “Singles” and “Bastards of Young,” one of The Replacements best songs from the album Tim

“Dyslexic Heart,” as listened to above, is a catchy and fun song. Yet, sang above the active, effervescent beat is a lyric that focuses on the confusion one can get when attempting to read signals from a member of the opposite sex. He is confused. He has a wacked out dyslexic heart. My favorite part is the first verse.

“You shoot me glances and they’re so hard to read
I misconstrue what you mean
Slip me a napkin and now that you start
Is this your name or a doctor’s eye chart?”

“Is this your name or a doctor’s eye chart.” Just classic.

“Bastards of Young” is a punk attack with an angry lyric.

“Clean your baby womb, trash that baby boom
Elvis in the ground, there ain’t no beer tonight
Income tax deduction, what a hell of a function
It beats pickin’ cotton and waitin’ to be forgotten”

Great lyric. “Trash the baby boom.” Just youthful unrest at its best. It is great that Westerberg has managed to stay young in his music throughout the years.

SWOD (Song of the Day/Word of the day) #10 — Pablum

2 Mar

Today’s Word:

Pablum: Trite, soft, bland cereal for infants

Pablum (noun): Trite, insipid, or simplistic writing

Musical Example:

Mother’s and Father’s everywhere must be looking at this SWOD and thinking Pablum, that is the breakfast cereal for babies. Well, yes and no. Yes, it is bland cereal for infants, but it also has another meaning. Pablum is trite, simplistic writing and it fits perfectly into this week’s SWOD.

Occasionally I like to look at the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts to be utterly depressed. I know the song topping the charts will be poor but I always fall into the trap of this constantly self-fulfilled prophecy. Can you imagine that only 40 years ago the #1 song on the charts was “Bridge over Troubled Water” by Simon and Garfunkel. A song that prides itself on the hopeful lyric:

“I’m on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down”

This beautiful verse about friendship was once respected in the music community. Now, after the passing of 40 years and the mass deafness of the youth we have to deal with the pablum of current mainstream music. Can this be because popular pop music has never given the youth the opportunity to listen to a masterpiece. Possibly. But, whatever it may be, it is quite upsetting. What is #1 today. Well, a misspelt song title paired with a performer who does not even bother to spell her name with the letter s it so separately needs. “Tik Tok” by Ke$ha. Hey Kesha just because a dollar sign looks like an s doesn’t mean it is one. Do you want to see what 40 years has done to the Billboard charts. Well, it started rhyming swagger with jagger.

“Ain’t got a care in world, but got plenty of beer
Ain’t got no money in my pocket, but I’m already here
And now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger
But we kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger

I’m talking about everybody getting crunk, crunk
Boys tryin’ to touch my junk, junk
Gonna smack him if he getting too drunk, drunk” (“Tik Tok by Ke$ha)

Yeah, I would say this is simplistic writing.

Wendy=Ke$ha and every other artist poisoning our music supply. Stan=listeners who know what music used to sound like I feel you Stan.

Court Links: Coldplay’s Fifth Release and Current CD Release

1 Mar

Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, or better known as simply Eno, is most likely the top music producer today. His credits? With his style of emphasizing theory over practice, creating generative music (music that is ever-different and changing) and revolutionizing music production, he has seen much success with David Bowie, David Byrne and the Talking Heads, and even Devo. Perhaps his most famous productions were with U2. He produced seven of their albums, including the famous The Joshua Tree. It is pretty safe to conclude that the man knows how to produce successful album.

Recently, he produced Coldplay’s fourth album Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends which was a tremendous commercial success selling over 8.1 millions copies worldwide. Eno has confirmed that he will be producing Coldplay’s fifth release which Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin said he wanted to get out by Christmas. I believe this is another good move for both Eno and Coldplay. They work well together and Eno brings out a lot of creativity in the band members. His influence is positive on Coldplay’s music and the new, fresh sound on album #5 is most welcome. I am looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.

Here’s a track from Viva La Vida:


CD Release for 3/2/10:

Permalight by Rogue Wave

The fourth album from alternative rock favorites Rogue Wave is perhaps Zack Rogue and Pat Spurgeon’s best release yet. With added synthesizers and a similar effervescent and pastoral sound, Rogue Wave is maturing musically and doing it quite well. This is also the first album to feature new bassist Cameron Jasper.

Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Permalight-Rogue-Wave/dp/B0033AX1ZU

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